Cornell University students hold campus sit-in over fraternity assault investigation

Roughly 80 students at Cornell University gathered inside a campus dining hall around 3 p.m. on Wednesday for a seven-hour sit-in protest, the Washington Examiner reported. Demonstrators organized the Zero Day protest over concerns that university leaders mishandled an investigation into an alleged gang rape in 2024. [1]

Protesters carried signs demanding justice for Jane Doe, an anonymous woman who accused seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. According to the Washington Examiner, the participating students pledged not to spend any money at the university during the demonstration. [1]

The protest follows ongoing unrest on the campus over the incident. As FTMQ News reported earlier, campus protests previously erupted with demonstrators demanding the resignation of the university president, while a newly surfaced video showed two fraternity members telling investigators that the encounter was consensual. [3]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, the alleged assault occurred at the Chi Phi fraternity house. In response to mounting public anger, Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff released an eight-minute video message describing the allegations as deeply disturbing and promising increased transparency regarding the institution's handling of the case. [4]

Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university located in Ithaca, New York. The institution was co-founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. [2]